


Yellow Diamond's Invincible Adventure

by TheNotoriousHIV



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Diary/Journal, F/F, F/M, Gen, Headcanon, Headcanons Out The Wazoo, I Hope No One Considers This "Edgy", I don't, Just Referenced Heavily, POV First Person, Seriously The Lady Turned Her Head 45 Degrees And It's Like I Know Her Whole Life Story, Ships Are Not The Central Story, Sorry If It Is Though, That's Not The Point At All
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-08 18:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4314996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNotoriousHIV/pseuds/TheNotoriousHIV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yellow Diamond decides to take a lone tour of Earth in order to kill Rose Quartz once and for all, due to the incompetence of the workers she sent out. When she gets there, she finds that Rose Quartz isn't what she expected.</p><p>Written as a journal from the perspective of Yellow Diamond (and Steven!)</p><p>Created pre-StevenBomb 3.0 when the extended intro was shown at SDCC, and, as such, is only a mere interpretation of what Yellow Diamond is like. Not accurate to her true character...as far as I know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Diamond explains exactly what I explained to you in the fanfiction description, along with some extra details.

Greetings, all readers of this.

My name is Yellow Diamond. I am the leader of Homeworld.

As some might have discovered, it is in a sorry state. But allow me to plead to you that this was not my fault.

To make a long story short, Rose Quartz discovered our plans to activate the Kindergarten on Earth. She didn't like that.

_Not at all._

She formed a rebellious force, named the "Crystal Gems", and warred against us. And for all intents and purposes, they won.

My fellow sisters in authority, White Diamond and Blue Diamond, were killed. The Crystal Gems executed Blue Diamond by overwhelming her when they least expected it, and White-- _oh, sweet White_ \--was slain by Rose Quartz in battle. No one but my closest advisers know this. Homeworld has been fooled for years into thinking the Great Diamond Authority is the trinity it once was.

I was prepared to accept death, but it never came.

Rose Quartz never came to kill me. Nor did any rebel forces. The only thing left was slain members of both armies. While we gathered the Homeworld gems and gave them a proper burial for those left in as mere shards, we fused any remaining Crystal Gems forces together, as punishment for their attempt to rebel; the Cluster. They deserve nothing but endless pain, to be put in a hell from which there is no escape.

I never did hear about how that fusion came along; I still haven't, even after sending my wisest and fiercest general, #79H (Jasper), to support Technician #14B (Peridot). Nor did I hear about the fate of Rose Quartz. My assumption would be that she remains there to protect Earth, but why not just finish the job? She wouldn't have to worry about a second attempt of war if I was dead.

She had the courage to start this whole battle. Does she lack the courage to finish it? It's a large risk, yes, but the deaths that she's caused by starting this war show that she is no coward.

Questions like these roam my mind everyday while gemkind suffers, even with my incredibly structured society on Homeworld and my incredibly watchful eyes.

And _**I CANNOT STAND IT!**_

As such, I've decided to visit Earth by myself. I will kill Rose Quartz, or she will kill me, and that will be that. I'll activate the Kindergarten, new gems will be born, and we can continue to colonize other planets, making my people happy. Or, I'll die, and gemkind as we know it will most likely die out, with the exception of her.

Any human that stands in my way will be slain, and will be shown no mercy. Crystal Gems will also fall, and Rose Quartz too, if she doesn't kill me first.

You might ask: " _how would you do this, o wise Yellow Diamond?"_

First of all: thank you for your flattering words. And second, it's simple: I have a ship of my own that can cloak. No one could possibly find my ship. I will _NOT_ be stuck on Earth. Nor will my advisors or people know I even left. Even if they did, there's not much I or they can do. The civilians have no morale, we thin out more and more each day, crime and outrage run rampant all over the planet; Homeworld is not at its peak, and I fear it never will be. Maybe more gems created by the Kindergarten will lift up the spirits of my people.

To put it simply: I am leaving or I am dying. That is all there is to it.

I'll simply go to where Jasper and Peridot were sent and navigate my way from there. Speaking of which, they failed to report back to me within the allotted time given to them. Nor did I find out about that traitor Lapis Lazuli. That will require punishment.

And, if you're curious, I know every resident on Homeworld by name. There is not a face I don't recognize, despite the fact that we have multiple gems that look very similar and fall under the same name. They ARE different, you know. However, in case this journal is found by humans who manage to survive their planet being wiped out--which is unlikely, but all things are possible--I want them to know how their planet fell by my hand. So, for easier reading, I will usually refer to them as their gem, and not their number. I know I did such earlier, but I regret doing so and I don't feel like editing it. Apologies!

I'll be updating this journal after I find Rose Quartz. This trip should take no longer than a day, and it will free us all from our plight...or drive us deeper in it.

I cannot wait to kill that traitor.

I might add her to the Cluster. That would be amusing. She could lead her Crystal Gems in death! _Forever!_

Maybe have her watch as Earth is destoyed? As every pathetic human pleads for their life?

...no, that's not enough.

I should kill any Crystal Gems I see, one by one. I will make sure none of them can tell of my arrival.

Then, I will have her witness the destruction I have caused. Then: we'll finally fight.

The inevitable will happen.

If I die, she's killed yet another gem, and hopefully realizes that she is completely alone. I visualize her sobs of sorrow...but I visualize the sobs of all those on Homeworld, too. No. No, that result cannot happen.

So then she must die.

When she gives up her physical form, I will drag her back to Homeworld. I will have all of my people surround her. I will decry her, and they will decry her with me. And THEN I will shatter her.

Yes, _THAT_ is the fitting death for Rose Quartz.

Such is the progress of life for all living beings. They are called to die, at some point. I only wish to speed up the process for a just cause. I do this for her...or I would be, if she had not forsaken us.

The time for Earth's failure has come.

I cannot wait...

...oh! I forgot I should've ended this journal a while ago. My apologies for having you read through my ramblings.

Well, until next time!

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

** _Yellow Diamond_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole point of this story is for you to pity/fear/hate Yellow Diamond. 
> 
> GET READY.


	2. Between The Velvet Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Diamond arrives on Earth, and discovers (and defeats) Malachite. Before she battles Rose Quartz, she takes a trip to the Kindergarten to meet Peridot and check on the status of the Cluster.

This is Yellow Diamond, reporting back from my journey.

**My God.**

_**I have witnessed things that no gem should bare witness to.** _

I am impressed, disgusted, elated, interested, and perhaps even scared.

I'll elaborate more on why I feel these feelings when I get to that point in my log.

* * *

 Once I landed on the coordinates of the Gem Warship _(it only took a few minutes--Homeworld technology once again proves its worth)_ , I scanned the area for all gems that weren't corrupt or slain. I found around five lifeforms.

While I still needed to find one more gem, everything added up, or so I thought. There were only about three Crystal Gems left, and Rose Quartz made four. The fifth had to be Jasper.

I exited my personal ship and cloaked it. I examined the planet.

It's _disgusting_.

Humans have buildings constructed everywhere, and their engineering abilities are nothing like Homeworld's. The beach itself is alright, I suppose, but it's just...there. It's sand and water. Why would Rose want to protect this?

As I pondered this, I realized something; there was no sign of Lapis Lazuli.

And then, I saw it:

_**Malachite.** _

A fusion made by an unwilling Lapis and a forceful Jasper, its inner conflict has consumed both and driven the fusion to madness.

This horrid creature emerged out of the ocean, enraged and hungry for blood. I wanted to weaponize it, but there's no controlling a fusion made of hatred.

The creature looked at me. I could tell it wasn't thinking: nothing fights me and expects it to live.

I drew my blade as it launched a watery hand to crush me; I sliced the attack in half.

With a mighty leap I launched into the air, and drove my blade into the skull of the beast. And with that, it was over.

It roared, and it vanished into a puff of smoke. Emerging out of it were two gems: Lapis Lazuli and Jasper.

Both were very much out of it. Lapis could barely stand--she took the brunt of the fusion, I could tell--and Jasper, despite her resiliance, just wasn't strong enough to last in a fusion like this.

They groaned in pain and dizziness. Jasper looked at me, and weakly smiled. It looks like my apperance has cheered her up some.

"Y-Yellow Diamond! You're here!" she said. "Finally, you're here to get us off this miserable planet! I am absolutely DONE with this place, you couldn't begin to comprehend--"

I knew she wasn't going to like what came next.

"No."

"Wh-what do you mean, no?"

"No, that's not why I'm here."

Jasper stared, confused. "But why else would you be here? You're not here to punish us for failing you, is it?! I-I SWEAR I was trying my best to assist Peridot, but she got in my way and--"

"I'll explain later," I said, cutting her off again. I knew what she was saying was pure fabrication. A meek technician like Peridot knows her place, and knows what her job is.

"You're both coming with me to the Kindergarten."

Finally, Lapis had acknowledge my presence. She screamed in fear.

"I'm not going ANYWHERE with you! I have a new goal! I'm not serving Homeworld anymore!"

Jasper scoffed. "You made that choice a while ago, traitor!"

In fear that the Crystal Gems would acknowledge my being here (I wanted to deal with them later), I decided to just teleport both of them there without a choice.

I grabbed onto both of their arms.

"Teleport to nearest technician," I said.

Another triumph for Homeworld technology.

* * *

 As we warped through the inner workings of Peridot's mind, we found ourselves exiting her gem and appearing right in front of her, startling her.

"You Crystal Clods think you can beat me? Bring it on, you brutish, incompetent oafs!"

Peridot slowly realized that we most certainly _weren't_  the Crystal Gems.

She saw Jasper and Lapis, and glared at them. "Ugh, there you two are! It's only taken you one trillion eons to regroup with me!"

And then she saw me. She gasped, and got on her knees.

"Her Royalness, Yellow Diamond! Greetings! I give myself to you, as I have finally completed my mission without my worthless support, Your Holiness! The cluster is doing fine!"

I couldn't help but laugh. So loyal. So weak.

"At ease, Peridot." She straightened up.

"So, are we allowed to leave now, Madame Yellow? Earth is so disgusting! Not like the perfection that is Homeworld!"

A bit annoying she continued, but still somewhat amusing. "I wish to see the Cluster first."

Peridot laughed, albeit nervously. "Oh, yes! Yes, but of course! The Cluster was such a genius idea! Only someone as intelligent as you could come up with that! You're the best member of the Diamond Authority! N-not that all of you AREN'T great, but you especially!"

That was the last straw.

If there's one thing I hate, it's false praise. No one truly appreciates you or loves you. They just want to use you. For your power, your status. In all my years of ruling Homeworld, that's become apparent. It's in a shoddy condition, socially. It's not _perfect._ I want it to be, but it won't be until I activate the Kindergarten. I deserve no praise, despite my efforts. If only they knew.

The second thing I hate is being reminded of the deaths of White and Blue. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am right now. To devalue any of them _~~especially my beloved White~~_ is heresy.

My rage became clear as I shouted:

**"STOP WITH YOUR PRAISE, YOU WORTHLESS GRUNT, AND JUST SHOW ME THE CLUSTER!"**

Peridot trembled in her boots. "Y-yes, ma'am."

Much better.

* * *

  We walked into the cave where the Cluster was supposedly held. Peridot simply couldn't find them, though.

"Th-the Cluster! Where is it?! I could've sworn it was here--wait. The Crystal Gems! Arrrgh, they must've taken it!"

A shame. I wanted to see it in action. With a sigh, I asked "Don't you at least have a video report?"

"Ah, yes, yes I do!" Peridot nodded. She brought up a video player with her augmented fingers (three points for Homeworld technology), showing the Cluster as a ugly mass of terrified gems, who want escape but cannot find it.

Just as planned.

"Wonderful," I commented.

Jasper seemed to be a bit put off by it, as she looked away awkwardly, and Lapis lightly shed tears. As much as I hate Peridot's fake attitude, at least she had some maturity to handle this.

I began to speak. "Well, now that that's out of the way--"

"We get to leave?!" asked Peridot and Jasper excitedly.

"...one more thing." Both went back to awaiting my orders.

"What do you want us to do now? Defeat the Crystal Gems and Rose Quartz?" Jasper asked with a large grin. "I'm in battered shape, but with you around, surely we could win!"

I shook my head.

"Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, and Jasper?"

They all looked at me...well, Lapis wished to ignore me, but she didn't have much choice.

"We need to talk."

* * *

 I'll be continuing my journey in the next chapter. Ah, and to clarify, Malachite was not the horrifying thing I spoke of. What I saw was much, much worse.

Until then, farewell.

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_


	3. A Truth That's Hard As Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Yellow Diamond understands the story so far, she dishes out some punishment.

As we exit the cave, I face all of them.

"My subjects...and Lapis," I begin. Lapis turns away from me yet again, angered.

"I need you to give me a full recount of what happened."

And so they did, from the beginning.

Peridot was sent to check on the Cluster, and couldn't due to the Crystal Gems interfering, returning to Homeworld for support. At the same time, Lapis had finally escaped the grasp of the Crystal Gems, who trapped her in a mirror. Someone by the name of "Steven"--or a new race of human called "The Steven", argued by Peridot, or even Rose Quartz by Jasper--healed her cracked gem, and she managed to return to Homeworld.

Lapis, being stuck on Earth for who knows how long, doesn't grasp Homeworld's new government and technology. Obviously, she's stuck in the past. She was found by Jasper, who was assigned to assist Peridot in checking on the Cluster. That's all they had to do. Jasper was merely a bodygaurd, of sorts.

She went out of line.

"Look, I didn't want to fight them--I told Peridot to fire the canons at them--but then I found Rose Quartz." Jasper stated.

"His name is _Steven!_ " Lapis argued.

" _The_ Steven," added Peridot.

I sighed. "Regardless of this creature's name, why do you think he might be Rose Quartz?"

"She summoned her shield to protect herself and the Gems from the ship's artilery. I wanted to take her to you. She's _changed._ "

I thought about this. "Steven" is a male human's name, isn't it? Did Rose shapeshift into a human child to blend in after a while and to live a new life? But the Crystal Gems are still in their normal physical bodies, and they follow Rose to the death. That couldn't be it. Rose continued to confound me.

It was clear that this required more research.

"I subdued her and dragged her as well as the Crystal Gems on the ship, and locked them up in the cells provided there."

"And me, too," Lapis stated, looking directly at Jasper.

"Couldn't you have at least listened to me when I said we needed to check on the Cluster?! You just completely ignored me!" exclaimed Peridot.

"Rose Quartz is MUCH more important than the Cluster," Jasper replied.

"Oh, I'd almost agree, but that was what I told you to do. You disobeyed your orders." I stated.

"Out of good intentions!"

_Intentions are irrelevant._

"Anyway, one of the Crystal Gems--who's a filthy fusion I took apart--fused again, and cheaply threw me into the ship's powercore, destroying it." Jasper appeared angrier after recounting this part, and grumbled more rude comments about fusions.

Peridot spoke up. "I managed to escape and ended up near the Kindergarten, where I continued my mission as you had ordered."

It seemed like she was going to say more, but Jasper interrupted. Thank God. "And, in an attempt to defeat the Crystal Gems again, I fused with Lapis Lazuli, who was totally willing."

Lapis scoffed, with a smug expression. "Barely. And it was only to trap you in the bottom of the ocean, so you could never hurt Steven and his friends again!"

It all made sense. "So that's where we are now," I acknowledged.

"Oh, but I encountered the Crystal Gems in the Kindergarten later on, and made a swift and smooth getaway!" Peridot stated proudly. "They were no match for my speedy fingers!"

"And then Rose...found a way into the fusion." Jasper stated. I was confused.

"...she _fused_ with you?" I asked.

"No, that's not it! It was like she entered the mind of--" she pointed at Lapis "--her, and managed to talk to her! I saw her for only a few seconds, and I wanted to grind her into dust, but then I lost control of the fusion."

Lapis ended the story. "He distracted me from concentrating on controlling the fusion, and after a while I just lost control completely."

Hmm. Rose Quartz, you've piqued my interest. These are powers I didn't even know you had.

Well, it looks like I do not need to kill Rose so quickly. I need to discover why she was a human boy--or if she still is--before I fight her.

But, I had some business to attend to.

"I will be honest with you all," I began, "I came here to kill Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems."

"No, you can't!" shouted Lapis Lazuli.

"Oh, but I can," I responded, smile creeping on my face. "However, that comes later."

Jasper was once again baffled. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

I thought for a moment.

"You three. Have you ever contemplated the sun?"

They all looked at each other, and lacked an answer.

"Well, there's not much to contemplate." I said. "It's a large star that burns with the heat of a thousand hells."

"What's your point?"! Lapis interrupted.

How rude; I barely started. "One day, it's going to lose all of its hydrogen, and absorb Earth, or burn so bright no one could live here. Not even us. Then it will burn out, and it will eventually turn into a diamond called a 'white dwarf'."

This is the truth. Interesting, isn't it? Even now, White watches from above and controls all things.

Wait; let me stop myself before I prattle on about her. There's another story to be told.

"The Sun is also how I happen to get the power for all my technlogy."

"In that case, I can't wait for the Sun to burn out! Then someone could take you down a peg!" Another snide remark from Lapis Lazuli.

"Shut up!" yelled Jasper.

"Y-yeah, shut up...y-you clod!" Looks like Peridot's still trying to impress me. Jasper looks back at her with another glance of confusion.

"What I'm trying to say is that the Sun will eventually cease to exist. My power and I will cease to exist. You three as well. This planet, its lifeforms: _all things must come to an end._ This is a truth that's harder than steel; well, for a fitting comment, **_harder than diamond._** " I giggled a bit at my wordplay, which made Peridot force herself to laugh along.

Speaking over the laughter, I continued. "However, the Sun will last for a long period of time. It's a star; they tend to do that. But living beings, like me, could die at any moment. So could all of the humans that live on this planet. I want to activate the Kindergarten to give birth to more gems. Don't you think it's selfish of Rose to protect a place that will eventually die out, when so many new gem lives could be created? When Homeworld could be saved?"

Jasper and Peridot nodded in agreement.

But there's still one more gem that had to run their mouth.

**"Homeworld won't be saved by making more gems! Are you stupid or something?! I didn't get to spend a lot of time on Homeworld, but it's not what it once was! Everything you do now is in the name of science! You don't care about life; obviously not humans, but _ESPECIALLY_ not gems!"**

_Oh, how wrong she was._ At least about the latter half. Why SHOULD I care about a bunch of inferior lifeforms, anyway? Doesn't she know I do what I can to protect Homeworld and improve it? The technology has only helped!

...yet, despite my efforts, they're still miserable. All of the rules I've set in place, guards in every building, and technology that gives pleasures and makes life easier...it doesn't matter. It does nothing.

Homeworld's broken, and it probably is my fault. Maybe Lapis Lazuli is right.

But  _never say I do not care._

 "So I don't care what you do to me: **I'm not coming back to Homeworld if it's _the last thing I do!_ "**

Lapis Lazuli ended her speech.

And then I ended her life.

I dashed to her, quicker than the blink of an eye. I grabbed her by her neck, choking her, and I held her up in the air.

"You're right, Lapis Lazuli: it won't be."

I drew my blade from my gem. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped for air.

With one thrust of my weapon through her exposed abdomen, she went back inside of her gem.

It landed on the ground. I stared at it for a second.

I stepped on it with my boot, crushing it and turning it into shards.

**Lapis Lazuli was--and is--no more.**

_All things must come to an end._

She met hers early; not only for betraying Homeworld, but for daring to insult me. I gave her chances to stop, and she prattled on. She was put back in her place.

Jasper and Peridot were shocked by the death. Not because they wanted Lapis alive, but because it all happened so quickly.

My combat prowess is unmatched.

"I'm sorry you two had to see that." I admitted. "She got on my nerves."

Jasper snapped out of her trance. "I-I suppose she would've met the same fate in court, anyway." This was true. No traitors are allowed to live.

Peridot was still in shock. She's never seen combat; Jasper has. She's used to death.

"And then, that leaves you two." I observed.

Jasper went back into her trance, eyes glued on me, but Peridot snapped out of hers.

"L-look, I did all I could!" Peridot pleaded. "I know I didn't meet the mission deadline, but surely this is no reason to turn me into shards! It's not like it was my fault!"

I lifted my finger towards Peridot. She was silenced.

"Jasper..." I started.

"No...no, you can't do this! _You wouldn't do this!_ " Jasper yelled.

"For disobeying orders and starting combat without purpose..."

Jasper screamed at the top of her lungs.

**"NO! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME! NOT LIKE THIS!!"**

She drew her helmet and attempted to hit me with a mighty headbutt.

It would've worked, had I not been fighting her during the daytime.

Her head bounced off of my armor, knocking her on her back and shattering the helmet.

"H-how?!" she gasped out.

I explained.

"I said I was powered by the Sun, remember? My armor is, too. While I'm basking in this glorious light, my armor can deflect all blows."

I know it seems at this point that I'm making things up about Homeworld technology to seem more powerful, or to make me seem menacing for the sake of being menacing.

I'm not. I'm telling you the absolute truth. I can be defeated, for all those who wish to try; without sunlight, I'm vulnerable. There's only one person who's been able to battle me as an equal with sunlight, and nearly defeat me without it.

That part comes later.

At any rate, this was the first Jasper I've ever seen that felt fear. Fortunately, there were many more to replace her.

Before she could react (I think she was too fear-stricken to even try), I jammed my sword right into the gem that was on her face.

She cried out in pain, and went back into her cracked gem. I needed to finish this.

Another gem crushed into shards by my boot. I lifted my foot and pushed the shards next to Lapis'.

I only wanted to demote Jasper, by the way. But she forced my hand.

At any rate, I turned to Peridot.

"Oh, no. Here it comes, here it comes..." she muttered to herself. Tears fell down her face.

Obviously, she wasn't truly listening to what I said, and I'll say it again for those who ignore it:

** _All things must come to an end._ **

I slowly marched towards Peridot, who cowered in fear.

"Peridot..."

She whimpered.

"...I'm not sure what to do with you."

Still horrified, but she easened up. "Wh-why do you not know what to do with me?"

"You make a fair point: despite the fact that you missed the deadline, you truly did attempt to accomplish the task set out for you. Congratulations."

Now she lightened up a bit more. "S-so, you're _not_ going to kill me?" she asked, with a weak smile on her face.

"I'll let the courts decide your punishment, should there be one."

Saddened again, but not nearly as much as she was earlier.

"Don't worry, you'll get a fair trial. I've recorded the stories provided here, and I'll submit them as evidence. Perhaps you'll be let free, and you'll get another task. I think Earth is something I need to take with some more consideration."

"Okay." Peridot nodded solemnly.

"There is one thing I want to ask of you; stay here with me."

Peridot brightend up. "Y-you mean I get to go on a mission with you?! Someone as inferior as me?!"

"Well, I actually just want you to stay on my ship until I'm prepared to activate the Kindergarten, in case I'd need your assistance. Perhaps if you succeed, you might even be promoted."

Even though it was a meager role, Peridot was absolutely honored. As if this minor task I set for her made up for the deaths she just witnessed...then again, I suppose she didn't care too much about their lives anyway. Good. It makes her stronger.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Before I put you on my ship, just remember one thing, Peridot:"

"...what?"

As I collected the shards and inserted them into my gem, I turned to her and said:

" _All things must come to an end._ "

I hope you're not growing tired of that phrase.

* * *

 I uncloaked my ship and allowed Peridot to wait in it. She was stricken with awe about the interior of it, and how beautiful it was.

"Try not to touch anything," I suggested jokingly. I knew she wouldn't. She WOULD be dead if she did.

She gave me a salute, and I cloaked the ship again.

And then, I thought to myself, sun basking on me:

"It's time to find Rose Quartz."

* * *

In my next log, I'll detail my meeting with "Rose Quartz/Steven/The Steven". I'm still not entirely sure what to call them. ~~  
~~

As for Peridot, she's currently awaiting trial.

Until next time.

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Havin' fun yet?!


	4. The Vision Never Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Diamond meets Steven and discovers that he is the human-gem hybrid child of Rose Quartz. While disgusted at first, she comes to realize that Rose Quartz never really left; this gives her an idea.

So, after dispatching of a traitor and an unruly soldier, I decided it was time to get some more shards on my hands.

Peridot was safely inside my ship, and I was assuming this location was where Rose Quartz/Steven/The Steven lived.

...actually, before I continue, I've realized that writing that out every time is a tad time-consuming. I'll spoil something: it seems he's called "Steven", so I've decided refer to him as such from this point forward. This doesn't make much sense right now, but it will.

After I wandered up and down the beach looking to see if anyone was there, I found nothing.

And then, I realized something.

I walked a bit into the water, and looked up.

This was not merely a house that overlooked the beach.

This was the Crystal Temple of Rose Quartz.

"How could I be so blind?" I thought. My mind must have been more focused on taking care of that unruly fusion and finding Peridot.

While there wasn't a doubt in my mind that Steven was here--I did find him and the Crystal Gems on my radar--I was aghast. At my own failure to recognize such an iconic building, and the fact that Rose (who is now Steven) would disfigure her own temple by having humans build property on it.

I shouldn't mourn the buildings of my enemies, and in retrospect it doesn't concern me much now, but it was just so disgusting. Another reason to activate the Kindergarten. Even Gems who they view as heroic are mistreated.

As I prepared to stop my wandering and just barge right in the house, I saw two human children walking towards the temple in the distance. One, a boy with short curly hair, and the other a girl with longer hair and glasses.

Yet another detail occured to me I completely forgot about: Rose Quartz (now Steven) is now parading herself as a human boy. Perhaps that was her?

I'm not exactly very good at approaching humans due to my ignorance of their social standards (I wouldn't bother to talk to them in any other context regardless). I figured the best tactic was to place myself behind a rock located near the temple and emerge when it seemed appropriate. It was less "hiding", and more "strategical waiting".

I heard the children speak to each other.

The girl began their conversation with "Steven, are you sure it's okay to be so close to Malachite? Obviously, I don't know a lot about how unstable fusions work, but the way you said it seems to be kind of a big deal."

"Steven?" I thought. The name that Jasper and Peridot argued about. This must be Rose!

"No, I think it's okay." responded Steven. "Garnet said we still have a while until she comes out of the ocean."

"But still..."

"Well, I've been thinking about something: in the last dream I saw Lapis in, Malachite yelled _'go!'_ at me. So I think Lapis still has control, for at least a while. She probably wanted me to leave so I'd be safe! And besides, she's tough! I'm sure we're in the clear."

...hmm. Quite frankly, I'd have to disagree. On the _"tough"_ matter. Then again, considering we weren't near water when I killed her, I couldn't say one way or the other. No matter.

Now, what's the right way to go about this...? Should this happen to be a normal human child (it's not), that will only make Rose angrier if I do so. And judging by what she did the last time she was upset with something, I might as well just forfeit the battle and let her kill me.

While I could care less what Rose thinks about me, I also understand what it's like to be empowered by a cause, as anyone could see. If there is one thing I will give Rose Quartz credit for: her will is much stronger than mine. Before her death, Jasper was practically a walking superweapon with little empathy, and even she respected Rose Quartz; that's the whole reason she bothered assisting Peridot in the first place, so I'm told. Just to see her, an enemy to all she believes in, again.

So, I'll suppose I'll have to be friendly.

I peak my head out from behind the rock. "Ah, excuse me? Small humanoids?"

The two children turned to me.

The girl was mildly interested at best, but Steven was elated.

"Whoa! Another gem!" exclaimed Steven.

As I walked closer towards him, I began to doubt that THIS was Rose Quartz. She was so large, and this boy barely reaches my knee. But, he was aware of gems...he must have seen the Crystal Gems around, or knows them in some form.

"Ah, yes, I am a gem!" I replied. "My name is Yellow Diamond. What is your name, child?"

"I'm Steven, and this is my friend," he pointed to the girl, "Connie."

"Greetings!"

With stars in his eyes, the boy just kept staring at me. I thought humans considered it inpolite to stare?

"Would you have happened to see a woman about--" I try to estimate Rose's height. "--yea high? White flowing dress? Endless amounts of pink flowing hair?"

Steven thought for a moment, while his friend, Connie, jumped in.

"Steven...you don't think she means...?"

Steven had come to a realization, and got gloomy. "Oh, you're talking about my mom, aren't you?"

...his _mom_?

"Your _mom_?"

"Oh, you're probably new to Earth and stuff, right?" Steven asked.

"Not necessarily. It has been a while since I've been here."

"Well, you see, my mom...isn't here anymore." He became uncomfortable.

Rose Quartz is dead? Well, looks like my mission's complete after all.

"To have me, she kinda needed to give up her form."

What?

Steven brightened up a bit. "She's still kind of with me in a way, though! Check this out!"

He lifted up his shirt, and there it was: Rose Quartz's gem.

This child was not human, nor was he a gem.

He was...a hybrid.

I felt ill as I came to this realization.

"You're--you're not human?!" I exclaimed

"Wellllll...kinda, but I'm not really a gem either. The only thing that matters is that I'm Steven!"

He smiled at me. But I could only frown at him.

"What's the matter? I know this is kinda weird for you, but it's okay!"

" **THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT 'OKAY'!** " I could not escape my seething rage. I stomped towards the child. I had no idea what I was going to do.

_"Rose Quartz is gone, and left a monstrosity in her place."_ was the only thought that raced through my mind.

Steven raised his hands defensively and began to sweat. "Whoa, hey, r-relax..."

His human friend walked up to me, stopping my march.

"Connie!" Steven exclaimed.

"I don't know who you are, or what you want to do while you're here! But you're not going to hurt Steven!"

Fair enough, child.

_I'll just have to hurt you._

As I drew my weapon, Steven did something that I did not expect.

"Connie, get back! You don't have your sword!"

I swung my sword down on Connie's head, but I found my sword raised over my head once it bounced off of something.

The child... _he summoned Rose's Shield._

I stared in childlike wonder at...well, the actual child.

"You're a Homeworld gem, aren't you?" Steven asked.

"W-well, yes, I am--" I admitted, still shocked.

"That means you're trying to hurt Earth! The Crystal Gems told me so!"

They raised this child with their ideals in mind. At first, I thought he was nothing but a parrot of their foolish concepts. But he continued:

"I know you're probably here because you wanted to hurt my mom, and stop the Crystal Gems! But there's something you don't realize: I'm a Crystal Gem, and I'm not going to let you hurt Earth!"

I stepped back and Steven rid himself of the shield. With fists clenched, and his human friend next to him, he went on even more:

"Earth isn't a bad place, okay?! I know you want to make more gems with the Kindergarten--" **How much does he know?!** "--but this place is really great! You shouldn't get rid of it! So, I want to ask you something: will you let me show you?"

I was in genuine fear, shock, and anger, for perhaps the first time in my life. "Sh...show me what _._..?"

"I want to show you Beach City, and all of the cool people that live here. I think if I show you that humans are good, you won't activate the Kindergarten. Because I don't want to fight you if I don't have to!"

I...couldn't believe it.

This child might not be Rose Quartz, but he embodies all of her ideals with an even larger amount of hope and enthusiasm.

Her visions never died...

After I had just tried to slaughter his friend, he offered me peace.

Only Rose could do such a thing. Neither human nor gem could hold such patience for me.

He truly was his own being.

He truly was just _"Steven"_.

As these thoughts rushed through my head at lightspeed, I had a new objective.

I will not kill Steven Universe.

_I will have him join my side._

If he wishes to convert me, I shall attempt to convert him as well.

I just had to get past one obstacle.

"Before I make my decision, Steven," I began, "Will you let me do one thing?"

"What?"

"...I want to speak to the Crystal Gems. Where are they?"

"Ohhh, no," with his arms reaching out horizontally, "you're not gonna try to hurt them."

I shook my head. "That's not my intention. I give you my word."

His arms folded. "Prove it."

I drew my sword from my gem, and dropped it in front of me.

"I brought no other means of attack. I will not fight them."

He thought about it.

"...okay."

Connie's eyes grew wide. "What?! Steven, you can't be serious--"

"If she really wanted to hurt them, she'd take a weapon with her, right?"

"I guess. Just be careful, okay?"

"Besides, no one beats the Crystal Gems!" he said with a wink.

I was tempted to prove him wrong, but I decided not to let pride get to me.

"Here, I should probably introduce you. Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst tend to get a bit...antsy around Homeworld gems."

_"Antsy"_ was an understatement.

\---------------------------------------------

I sit here now, and I still can't believe it.

A human-gem hybrid? _Disgusting._

But that would be the sweetest revenge: Rose Quartz's son working for me, joining my side.

I would get to put him back on the path that is truly right. I would have him realize that gems are far superior to humans.

I decided to give the Crystal Gems a chance to talk rationally with me...but, if they declined, I will absolutely drag Steven kicking and screaming to Homeworld if I must.

I shall detail my meeting in the next chapter.

Until next time.

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't feel confident in this chapter, but I wasn't sure what else I could do to move the plot forward.
> 
> I fear for the next one, too, but after that I get to write a fight scene I've been having a lot of fun planning out in my head. So even if you thought this one was weak, stick around; it's gonna get good soon.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Week of Sardonyx--and, if you're a Gravity Falls fan like me, the premiere of A Tale of Two Stans. Steven Universe should be going back to a weekly schedule in August (I think?), and Gravity Falls' next episode is the 3rd of August. Unfortunately no Yellow Diamond appearance to blow mine out of the water, but I will wait patiently for my new gem overlord.
> 
> Enough ranting; see you next chapter!


	5. Life's A Never Ending Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Diamond attempts to talk to the Crystal Gems, but instead gives them all a breaking speech. Amethyst isn't having it.

As Steven opened the door to the house, I knew that this was going to be a long discussion.

"Hey, guys!" the hybrid greeted.

The Pearl responded first, with an "Oh, hello, Steven--" she was going to continue, but she look directly at me, horror in her eyes. She paused for a few moments.

" **GARNET! AMETHYST! _WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!_** "

Both of them rushed out. Garnet, a fusion, and Amethyst, a gem that was exclusively produced here. Not many exist on Homeworld...none alive, anyway.

Amethyst spoke up first: "Is that...?!"

"It is! Yellow Diamond, in the name of Rose Quartz and Earth, we WILL defeat you! Surrender or you'll be bubbled!"

She drew her gauntlets, but Steven was quick to dispel the violence.

"Guys, guys! It's okay! She isn't here to fight!"

Pearl became angry. "Steven, do you know who that is?!"

"Uhhh...not really? I know she's from Homeworld, but..."

"That's Yellow Diamond! She was the one who fought against your mother!"

"And lost," Amethyst added while drawing her whip, rubbing salt in my wound.

"The child is right. I am not here to fight." Perhaps if I spoke up, their nerves would be eased.

"Yeah, right!" Pearl shouted, drawing her spear. "If you're not here to surrender--which would be wise--then you're here to fight! We won't let you walk another step on this planet!"

I groaned in disgust. The Crystal Gems were dumber than they looked--barring Steven.

"She dropped her sword in front of me! She really means it!" spoke Steven.

One more try: "If I dispel Steven from the building, will you trust me then? I know you wish to protect him; it's not him I'm after, and it's not you three either. I am not here to attack anyone. Please, let me speak to you."

A few more seconds of intense staring, then they all dispelled their weapons. They all seemed angered, annoyed, and offended that I even dare attempt to speak rationally.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Make it quick so we can kick your butt back to Homeworld already."

A _large_ assumption.

"Steven, get as far away from here as you can." the fusion stated.

"But--"

"Go!" she shouted.

Steven look sadly at the ground before leaving the building. I could tell he was only going back with his friend Connie, which is most certainly NOT as far as he can go. He really should go farther.

"What do you want from us?!" shouted the Pearl.

Before I even spoke anymore words, I decided to summon the shards of Lapis Lazuli and Jasper from my gem, dropping them on the floor. Certainly NOW they'll listen to me.

"My dear apologies; I know these two bothered you." I spoke in my most formal voice.

They stared in awe, but this wasn't going to be enough to satisfy them.

"Where's Peridot, then?" the Pearl continued to question.

"She's on my ship. As soon as I finish speaking with you all, I'm taking her back to Homeworld, where'll she be doing other missions."

"You didn't hide her somewhere on Earth? Give her new Homeworld technology?"

"I give you my word." I refuse to lie. The Crystal Gems see me as a monster, but what monster values honesty and truth?

"May I sit?"

* * *

 

Taking a seat on their couch (personally, I'm more of a fan of chairs with wheels on them; this is too casual for my tastes), I began.

"I know all of you are a collective trio of dunces, but I want you to listen carefully to my words. I will eventually activate the Kindergarten on Earth."

This didn't help change their restless facial expressions. They didn't like that I admitted that.

"However, I am giving you this one and only chance to avoid any attempt of invasion."

More staring.

"Let me take Steven back to Homeworld."

IMMEDIATE disgust.

"You can't be serious?!" Pearl asked.

"Oh, but I am."

"We're not handing him over. Rose entrusted us with a mission to keep him safe and protect him, as well as Earth!"

"How dumb do you think we are?" the Amethyst commented.

Very.

"COMPLETELY out of the question." The fusion adjusted her glasses.

Fair enough. I'd expect this response.

"Have you not considered his safety?"

They stared at me, confused. They did just prattle on about Rose's wishes, after all.

"When--not if, might I add, WHEN--we invade Earth, no one will be safe. Whoever stands in our way will be decimated."

More staring.

"And I know that you will all attempt to stop me and my armies."

...more staring.

"That child...Steven. He seems so full of life; he is like Rose in every way, isn't he?"

The fusion seemed annoyed. "Don't act like you know Rose better than we do."

"Well, she did once work alongside us. Pink Diamond is a _much_ prettier name than Rose Quartz, if I can speak honestly."

"But you don't know the REAL her. You don't know what she was...what she became before she gave birth to Steven. You never will."

Hah. "Rose Quartz saw the 'good'--whatever it might be--in Earth." I replied. "The people and their lives, the places...she loved it all. More than she did Homeworld, her own kind. She couldn't let us destroy it. She wouldn't let us destroy it."

I stood up, pacing around the Crystal Gems.

"I won't deny that I disagree about the value of this planet. You all know I do. That will not change. But that boy...that boy is different. He didn't just try to kill me. He actually gave me a chance. A chance to see the good in Earth."

They seemed indifferent. As if it wasn't a big surprise.

"Do you not find that shocking?"

Pearl, looking at her hands, mumbled something like "That's Steven, alright..."

"Whatever human got to create Rose's spawn should be glad to have such a child. It would be a shame if that boy had to die fighting off our attack."

The room only got darker and darker by the minute.

The Pearl continued to mumble. "Steven won't die."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Steven won't die! Because we're _not_ letting you invade Earth, and we're _most certainly_ not taking letting you take him to Homeworld! You...you... **heartless monster!** "

I felt anger. There's a human saying; something about "arguing with an idiot" and said idiot dragging you down to his level. I'm afraid that's the only path I could take to get this through their thick skulls.

"You truly think that _I'm_ the monster?! I watned to protect all of you! I wanted to make yours and other gem's lives filled with joy!"

My light pacing turned into heavy stomping. "But Rose staged an uprising and she won! White and Blue died because of her! Because of _all of you._"

I pointed to the fusion.

"You! Ruby and Sapphire!"

"That's not my name!"

**"THAT'S WHO YOU ARE!"**

**"NO IT'S _NOT!_ "**

Pearl and Amethyst called her by the name, trying to calm her down, but their pleas fell on death ears.

" **REGARDLESS!** You truly think I'm some sort of monster, don't you?! As if I don't care about bonds between others?"

"Not enough to care about fusions!"

"That isn't a true relationship! But I'll tell you what is: me and White Diamond!"

The gems paused for a minute.

"...you were attracted to White Diamond?"

More than attracted.

"Madly in love! Running Homeworld with her, Pink, and Blue Diamond by my side were the happiest moments of my whole existence!"

I got closer to the fusion.

"The way she spoke, her intelligence and her charisma: I wanted to spend every moment with her, for the rest of my days. I would've died for her if I could have! That's how Ruby and Sapphire feel, is it not?"

She stammered out a "S-sort of...but--"

"But I _never_ fused with her! I didn't even _think_ about fusing with her!"

I grabbed the fusion by her chin with one hand, and removed her glasses with the other. My gaze pierced her entire form.

"I don't think fusions are disgusting, you twit. But they give you no right to act as if you know more, or can feel more, than I. They're nothing special. They're just a tool. You're just another gem, and another gem that betrayed me at that. You should feel _ashamed._ "

Her expression became one of pity, and rightfully so.

"And wasn't one of you attracted to Rose? I remember hearing reports that her and another gem were in some sort of relationship."

The Pearl raised her hand. "Th-that was me..."

I walked to her. She squirmed a bit in fear.

"That was how I felt towards her. But at least White Diamond wanted to stay close to me! She didn't choose someone else to create that hybrid child! What kind of relationship could you have had with Rose where she was willing to leave you over the first human that caught her eye?!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. I struck a nerve. I almost felt bad for this Pearl. But this had to be done. She had to know the truth.

"She...she just chose Greg. I-it's not like I wasn't close to her...I loved her, and she loved me back!"

I got closer to her, and spoke to her in an almost sensual and soothing voice:

"But don't you dream about the life you two were going to have together? If he hadn't got in the way? If humans just stayed away from gems?"

The tears grew larger and streamed down her face, falling onto her clothes. She nodded solemnly.

"She gave someone like _me_ a chance."

"But in the end, she left you. You're just a lost Pearl, looking for someone to serve. It's in your nature. It's your lifeblood. She denied you of your one true purpose. Aren't you angry?"

Her crying continued and got audibly louder. I could hear her sniffles and sobs as I continued.

"Rose betrayed her kind. She betrayed _you_. For a species you know nothing about, and never will, to create a being that none of us-- _not even I_ \--understand."

I actually got some joy out of this. I knew I had them cornered.

"Let me take Steven to Homeworld. I want to appeal to his true birthright. I want to teach him about what life truly is. The things you and Rose couldn't tell him, because you know you're all wrong."

While the fusion's expression was one of guilt, the Pearl actually seemed to be considering it.

There was just one more obstacle.

"I think I've heard enough outta you."

The Amethyst stood up from her seat and got right to my legs. Awfully short.

"You don't just come to Earth to make my friends feel bad!"

I chuckled. "I didn't come to Earth for that. I came to tell them the truth."

A finger pointed at me. "Whoever you loved doesn't matter! You tryin' to tell us we should give Steven up because we feel bad for you?!"

What a foolish gem. I suppose that's what happens when you live on Earth; no brains. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Sure sounds like it!"

In a dopey tone of voice, she mocked me: "Durr, give me Steven because you killed my girlfriend!" Back to her normal voice. "War's got casualties. We've all accepted that. You didn't want her to get hurt? You shoulda sided with us."

Was she speaking honestly? "I didn't side with you because I wanted to watch over gemkind. Did I not make that clear?"

"Destroying the Earth is gonna help gemkind?!"

I began to speak, but my response was hushed quickly.

"You've got to make more gems because you were the ones who wanted to go to war! Whatever the heck is happening on Homeworld--by the way, I've never been there and I'd rather die if I had to be--making more gems won't help."

I couldn't believe this. She really thinks that wouldn't help?

More gems, more workers. More workers, more service being done. More service towards technology and police force, easier lives. What is there not to understand?

...

What does she know about Homeworld, anyway? She hasn't been there. I won't let her get to me while I write this.

"In fact, if I could put money on it, you're probably the one who messed it up. Running Homeworld must be pretty hard on your own."

She's wrong. She's absolutely wrong.

~~...not entirely.~~ She's wrong and I need to focus on this accursed thing.

"I mean, we lost gems, too. Humans, even! And you don't see us cryin' about it!"

She turned to Pearl, still sobbing.

"Well, most of us, anyway..." she said, a bit embarrassed.

"Face it. You're just a byproduct that came out of that Kindergarten." I will not let myself lose this banter. "You haven't had the education these two had. What would you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Pssh. I don't need to know nothin'. It's just common sense."

"Did Rose have any common sense when she left you all? You, especially. You were lost without her, Amethyst! On Homeworld, you're the last of your kind. You had no one to relate to, to care for you or love you, except her. And she didn't care. Face the facts."

"It might not make sense to you, or even to us."

She smiled at me.

"But if it made sense to her, it makes sense to us. Not like _you_ care about her...heck, after hearing you spew all that stuff, you probably don't care about Homeworld."

That's it. I lost it.

**"FINE, THEN! YOU REFUSE TO LISTEN TO REASON?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL WHERE YOU STAND AND TAKE STEVEN FOR MYSELF!"**

Amethyst drew her whips. "Works for me."

She turned to her comrade.

"C'mon, Pearl! I know you're better than that! You know Rose went with Greg for reasons we don't understand, and it stinks and all, but she if she were here right now, she'd want us to stand up and send Yellow Doofus here packin'!"

Pearl looked up, still a bit saddened, but even touched. I could tell; their relationship was not one where they got along often. That was apparent.

She began to smile. Oh, no.

"You're right, Amethyst." NO SHE'S NOT. "We have a planet to protect!"

"One that will _fall!_ " I shout.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

Amethyst turned to the fusion.

"Yo, Garnet! She's wrong! You do know more than anybody when it comes to love! She doesn't have any respect for the bond that Ruby and Sapphire have! You showed Jasper who's boss; it's time to show her the same thing!"

The fusion smiled as well. She put her glasses back on, and moved in the middle of the slowly approaching Crystal Gems.

"Amethyst is right. Enough talk out of you. I'm sorry that White Diamond died in the war. But I'm not sorry about refusing to let you take Rose's child and giving up on Earth! That's what we're here for!"

The other two began to draw their weapons, and looked at me determined.

Oh no. This wasn't good.

I'm not in natural sunlight. My armor is useless right now, and I foolishly dropped my weapon in front of that child.

Why did I honestly think I could speak sense into these idiots? That makes me an even bigger one by nature.

I deserve death. It will happen to me eventually.

_But I will not let it happen today._

I made a mad dash for the outside world, picking up the shards of Lapis Lazuli and Jasper along the way.

Today was the day the Crystal Gems died.

* * *

In the next chapter, I shall detail my battle against the Crystal Gems.

Prepare for devastation.

Until next time.

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_


	6. Star Of The Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Diamond's battle against the Crystal Gems begins. 
> 
> Shit goes down.

As I began to run towards the beach to pick up my sword, it felt as if the Crystal Gems were right behind me.

I had some form of distance from them where it would be easy for me to escape, but I just had this sense of doubt. The sense that they wanted me dead.

They did, of course.

But they weren't defeating me.

As they shouted at me, with high and low pitched voices speaking _"Get her!"_ , _"We can't let her escape!"_ , and things of that sort, I jumped onto the beach, startling Steven and Connie, still there and not heeding the warnings of the Crystal Gems.

Steven began to talk to me, with a hopeful tone in his voice. "Soooo, how did it goooo~?"

I only focused my gaze on him for a second. I gave a look of contempt. It was his fault for tricking me into thinking that diplomacy would succeed, anyway. Rose's charisma has been passed down to him, that's for certain.

Unfortunately, he didn't take it as a look of anger, and more as a calm sign that things didn't--and aren't--going to go well. Both children seemed at a standstill for what to do, but I quickly grabbed my sword and went directly into battle, the Crystal Gems waiting for me. I could tell that they would panic--but that wasn't the last I saw of them that day.

Holding my sword towards all of the Gems, I spoke.

"Even with all three of you attacking me at once, you do not stand a chance at killing me. I will give you one last chance to let me leave with Steven, or there will be consequences."

"Like?" Amethyst asked.

My original answer was going to be death, but that was too good for these traitors.

 _"Endless torture."_ I couldn't help but answer with a smile on my face.

Amethyst only grew angrier and threw the first strike; she wanted to lasso me closer so that all of the gems could pummel me. I didn't require future vision; she's just so idiotic that I can read her like a book.

As the tails of the whip grew closer, I grabbed them with brute force.

I yanked them closer to me, hoping to drag the Amethyst into sword's range. Unfortunately, that didn't work, but she was disarmed for the time being as I threw her weapon onto the rocks below.

She stared at me as I approached her, sword prepared to stab. She was obviously in shock, but that wouldn't be her undoing; the fusion, Garnet, blocked the strike with her gauntlets just in time as I felt the Pearl's spear bang against my armor.

As I prepared to resume my fighting stance, Garnet grabbed me and tossed me far onto the roof of the house. I felt my back slam into the rocks as I landed on the rock fingers of the Gem Temple.

" **Amethyst!** Grab your whip and get Steven and Connie _far_ away from here!" I heard her shout. Excellent strategy to buy time, I must admit.

I recovered quickly and descended back in front of Pearl and the fusion.

"Hah! You're not going to be able to take him if you can't reach him!" shouted the Pearl, oh so confident.

While I wanted to say I could hunt him forever--I theoretically could--my armor is solar powered, and I could tell that the Earth's moon was going to appear relatively soon.

I needed to finish the job.

"Then I suppose I won't. That just leaves you."

Me and the Pearl clashed with our weapons. As I began to overpower her, Garnet put an end to it with a fist in my face.

Those two are perfectly in sync. I need to get one away from the other...or, as I have done many times on Homeworld, get them against each other.

But how?

There was no time to think, as the Pearl was trying to shove a spear through my head. My reflexes are excellent, so I avoided the blow and shoved my boot into her back, making her stagger and fall face first on the floor.

Speaking of my boots, I stomped them into her back a few times to stop her movement for a few moments. Killing her would be impossible, as Garnet was approaching and would put an end to any attempts to finish this.

As I swung my blade around, all it hit was a small amount of some large hair before I felt punch after punch into both of my ribs, ending with a left hook that made me spiral into the ground.

She wanted me dead.

"You're not taking this planet! Not while we're alive!" she shouted.

I laughed as I rose up, my sword raised for the next punch that was coming.

"The planet comes later. I want the boy."

The gauntlet did nothing to my long blade, and so I swiped at her again.

An uppercut to my chin that launched me into the air.

"You can't take him, either! Why don't you understand that?!"

As I fell to the ground, she pounced on my form, and pounded her gauntlets into my armor. Fortunately, this was futile,.

"What if he _wants_ to go?"

"He wouldn't, and I--we won't let him!"

"So it's only a choice made by you, hmm?"

"As a team! _We!_ **AGREE!** " The blows got harder.

"You mean _Ruby and Sapphire_ agree?"

She screamed in rage as the blows got stronger in speed.

**"ALL THREE OF US!"**

"All _four_ of you."

More anger. This was fun, but I had to get to the point.

"What I'm trying to say is that you have a way to see if Steven wants to go."

She stopped, staring at me. There was no way I was getting out of her hold, anyway.

"How would you even know that?!"

"I know all gems, traitors or otherwise. Sapphire, listen to me. Use your future vision."

For once she didn't correct me, and just shook her head.

"But what about his happiness? He has to deal with four gems that want nothing to do with him. You only protect him because he's essentially Rose. Even a blind gem could see that."

I know so little, but I have amazing insight.

"I'm sure that he lies awake at night, wondering 'Is it my fault?', or 'They hate me, don't they?'. You claim to love him, but you don't love HIM. He's not a person to you. He's merely an order. A pet that Rose left behind for you to take care of while she's gone."

"Th...that's not true...he wants to stay here."

My smile grew wide.

"Prove me wrong, Sapphire."

And finally, that did it. The fusion used her future vision, granted to her by the Sapphire within.

And while it might seem like my abilities grow more and more obscene, and my strength is of legendary proportions only written as myth, I can assure you that this is all true:

I have the technology to delude Future Vision. Instead of seeing a true future, they see whatever I want them to. With my superior mind and creative imagination, I could delude her into thinking my hopes and dreams were soon to come.

So, as she began to peer into all the futures--in which Steven refuses to go with me, the giddy little brat--she only saw an enthusiastic Steven entering my ship. And, when I really felt like taunting her, my mocking laughter.

This began to horrify her, as she ended her search into the future.

"He...he leaves in every future..."

Her power began to fall. She let go of me.

"You're right...I can't belive it, but you're right!"

Tears streamed from beneath her glasses, as she kneeled in front of me, head raised toward me. I stood high.

"I can't let Rose down...but that doesn't matter, does it? He's not just Rose...what's wrong with us?"

Her once stoic and calm facade became her true self. She began to argue out loud against herself.

As one voice, she spoke:

"She's _lying_ to you, Sapphire!"

"Future vision _never_ lies, Ruby!"

"But there's no way that can be true! He talks about how much he loves Earth all the time, right?!"

"But we don't care about him!"

"You know that's not true!"

**"I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S TRUE ANYMORE!!"**

Her form dissolved into what it truly was; two gems.

The Sapphire in tears, with the Ruby frustrated.

" _Why won't you listen to me?!_ Focus before she kills both of us!"

"We deserve to die if we've treated Steven so poorly!"

 **"UGHHHHHH!!"** she screamed. "We aren't treating him badly! She's messing with you! You gotta believe me, Sapphire! We know Steven better than her!"

"Do we?!"

**"OF COURSE WE DO, YOU BIG IDIOT!!"**

As this bickering continued (and as I began to raise my sword), I heard the footsteps of the Pearl approach me. Their deaths would have to wait.

I turned my attention towards her.

"You might have gotten the better of me, but I'm not done yet!" she shouted, spear pointed towards me.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Enough talk. Kill me, then."

I do have to say, her footwork and technique is marvelous for a gem that wasn't intended for combat.

We traded blows equally, and her grace was amazing. When I swung my sword left, she parried and returned with a right. Slicing her vertically? She jump and aim for my chest or my head.

While I could tell she wasn't one for flashiness, her fighting style did feel like a dance, which doesn't make for excellent combat. I felt that she had made this fight into something of a routine; a battle where we both had a script and followed through with it.

We were going to be here forever if one of us hadn't killed the other.

But finally: a diversion within this mess!

One that worked in my favor.

 _"Pearl!"_ multiple voices shouted.

Her concentration was broken. While multiple voices shouted, she only needed to hear one that truly rattled her thoughts.

Steven.

He hadn't followed orders and put himself in harm's way.

She thought that I would take him. That I would kill him.

Fear got the best of her.

As a swipe from her spear missed me, she turned her head. She asked frantically: " **St-Steven?!** _**WhydidntAmethysttakeyouawaylikeGarnetsa**_ \--"

I shoved my two-handed sword right through her forehead, where her gem lied.

She began to retreat back into her gem as more frantic shouts of **_"Pearl!"_** began.

The gem fell in front of me, already cracked. This wouldn't be the same case of Lapis and Jasper; a mere kick from my boots would've shattered her for good.

_But this simply wasn't meant to be._

As my boot was raised into the air, I stomped on the shield of Steven Universe.

_Not him again._

I stumbled backwards as that same shield was thrown into my face, making me fall on the ground.

As I raised myself up from the ground, a whip wrapped around my neck. Gems don't have to breath, but Amethyst used the whip as a leash of sorts, running around so I couldn't reach toward the children.

She ran behind me and pulled me back, the whip's material pressing itself into my neck. I tried to power out...

"Steven and Connie! Get Pearl's gem and _get the heck out of here!_ "

"What about Ruby and Sapphire?!" asked Steven.

Amethyst turned to them. "You guys unfu--? Never mind! Just...take them too, I guess!"

They all made a mad dash for the house.

From this point on, it was just me and the experiment.

* * *

 

I wanted to write this battle all in one go, but recalling all these details has made me frustrated. I can't think straight.

Idiots. All _idiots._

And I regret having to write where this all goes wrong...I feel sick at my stomach thinking about what happens next.

To sum it all up: _it doesn't go according to plan._

I could handle the Amethyst well enough, but...no, forget it. I don't feel like talking about it. Not right now, at least. That part will come after I relax and enjoy some entertainment provided to me by my subjects. The works and art produced here are truly amazing.

Sorry, I'm ranting.

I do wonder what happened when they all retreated inside of that house, however.

Hmm...

_\--From the Savior of All Gems and Current Ruler of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hey, guys! Guess what?! You're actually getting a bonus chapter!
> 
> What a sick deal! Originally, this was seven whole chapters, but this fight (this section and what I'm spacing out combined) was pretty fucking long, so I actually need to do some spacing and add another chapter. That's why it took so long to get this out; I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do.
> 
> As a little bit of a tease, the next chapter ISN'T going to be from Yellow Diamond's perspective...you'll see, I promise.


	7. Steven's Journal Update Fun Time!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven recounts the events that go on inside his house as Amethyst battles Yellow Diamond.
> 
> This being Steven, he rallies the gang together.
> 
> And then stuff with Connie happens.
> 
> Vague wording, huh? Yeah!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THE NEXT CHAPTER IS INCREDIBLY SAPPY, AND KIND OF CLICHE, AND IS KIND OF JUST FILLER BEFORE WE GET TO THE REAL BLOODSH--ERR, FINAL BATTLE. THIS CHAPTER SEEMED LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA IN MY HEAD BUT I DUNNO IF I LIKE IT NOW. HERE IT IS FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE.
> 
> Kept you waiting, huh?
> 
> Holy crap, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this in 1000000000000+ centuries. I really liked this whole "build up before everyone marches on to fight Yellow Diamond" scene in my head, but...I got stuck on writing it in a way where it could be cool.
> 
> Whenever I get stuck, I just kind of give up for a while, but I REALLLLLLLY wanna finish this and write more stuff, and it'd be kind of weird to just have a gap in a middle, so...
> 
> ...well, here ya go. Right on New Year's Eve, a new era begins as we come closer to finally finishing this stupid thing.
> 
> Thanks for all your good vibes and comments, and I hope to write some more stories in the future (especially with Yellow Diamond ACTUALLY MAYBE POSSIBLY showing up on the Steven Bomb next week?! That'd sure be nice!).
> 
> I think if I had one big complaint about all this, I sort of wish I had more of Yellow Diamond and Steven interacting before she decided to be a huge bitch. A well-meaning and murderous overlord hanging out with an incredibly adorable kid?! I smell SITCOM!
> 
> Maybe that'll be a story for the future.
> 
> In general, I'm not very good at build-up. I'm an impatient bastard who wants things to happen right away, and, with hindsight, that doesn't really make for good storytelling. What's the fun of getting to the next thing if the next thing is already here before you know it?
> 
> Ah well, enough ranting. Enjoy this long-awaited (?) chapter!

Hey, journal! This is Steven.

I got kinda bored, so I figured I'd write! This isn't something I usually do, but I think it's pretty important, because...well, me and a REALLY good friend got close today, basically (super good!!). And also a gem from Homeworld came and kind of tried to kill us all (not super good!!). Maybe if I write about it, I can register it better in my head. It's been a long day. I don't really remember everything, though, so I should probably just write as far as I can remember. Which was...oh, got it!

\---------------------------

So, basically, this gem called Yellow Diamond came down from Homeworld. She seemed okay, but then she got really angry because she just heard about what happened to my mom. I'd rather not talk about it. Anyway, I managed to woo her with my awesome speaking (and shield!) skills. I said that I could show her how great Earth was, and she seemed kind of interested! So, I made sure she dropped her weapon and I took her into our house. I thought things were going pretty well, but...uh, they weren't, basically. Eventually, me, Connie, Ruby, Sapphire, and Pearl (well, she was actually in her gem, but she got better!) ran into the house. We had to think fast or we were toast! And not the good kind of toast. Like, really, really, REALLY burnt toast with no butter.

"Okay, so--" I started to say, but I got cut off by Sapphire crying and hugging me.

"Why do you want to leave us, Steven?!"

...yeah, I was confused.

"I'm sorry?" I asked. "I saw...in my Future Vision...you wanted to leave with Yellow Diamond!" Well, uh...yeah, I was still confused!

"Why would I want to do that? I wanted to show her how cool Earth is!" Ruby came in and tried to calm Sapphire down. "See? I told you he didn't want to leave! Why am _I_ the rational one here, Sapphy?!"

"Yeah, when Lapis talked about Homeworld, it didn't seem all that great. I'm preeeetty sure I wanna stay here, guys." Sapphire stopped crying. "But...but then why did I see that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno, Sapphy; but the point is it's all in your head. Steven's still with us and he loves us." She smiled. "Just like how I love you."

_**Awwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!**_ Sorry, had to get that out.

Anyway! Sapphire smiled too and then they hugged and kissed and it was really weird and I didn't really look cause it was kinda awkward.

Connie nodded. "Well, that solves one problem, but what about Pearl?"

Oh, right! Shoot! I looked at her gem. "Aw, man..." "You can heal gems with your saliva, right?"

I couldn't help but feel kinda sad and embarrased. "Yeah, but I...kinda...sorta...lost that power..."

Connie looked sadly at me. "Oh...sorry, Steven. I didn't mean to put pressure on you or anything." No! No more sad friends! "It's okay, you didn't know! And besides...don't know if you don't try, right?" Connie smiled back.

"You're right. Even if it doesn't work, there has to be a way to fix this! But we might as well use our options." I nodded back at her and I licked Pearl's gem. I hoped really, really, REALLY hard that it would work... ...and it did!! (dunno why my power worked again, but hey, it's whatever!) Pearl's gem got healed and she started coming back in her normal form! "YELLOW DIAMOND, YOU HORRIFIC--oh. Where am I?"

"You're in the house, Pearl!" Pearl looked around nervously. "D-did we win? Where is she?! Where's Garnet--"

"Present." Garnet raised her hand. I guess she fused while we weren't looking.

"Alright, but where's Amethyst?" I knew Pearl wasn't going to like this. "She's...kindofoutsidefightingYellowDiamond, but before you go--" Pearl instantly drew her weapon. "I need to get out there before Yellow Diamond ki--I mean, Amethyst hurts herself! There's no _time_ , Steven!"

She ran back outside, even though I yelled "Waiiiiiiit!"

"Don't feel bad, Steven." Garnet said. "This is important, and I need to go help the others, too." I felt sad. After what just happened, I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. I had to do something! But there was one problem...

"What should I do?" Garnet smiled. "Let us handle this. If we need your help, we'll get you." "But what if, uh, I dunno, Yellow Diamond wanted me to fight her?" Garnet thought for a moment. "Think like me." And before I could really ask her what that meant, she left too. I sighed. "She sounds really cool when she says stuff like that, but it doesn't really help explain what we should do in case...y'know..."

"You don't think she'd actually come in here, do you?" Connie asked, worried.

"I dunno...I mean, Sapphire saw her taking me away in Future Vision. Maybe that's what she wanted to happen?"

"Oh, no..." Connie started to panic a bit. "But the Gems will...probably win though, right?" I say, smiling and shrugging. It always helps! ...except when it doesn't, I guess.

Like in this moment.

"This--this isn't about probably, Steven! This is serious, I-I-I don't want you to go to some weird planet, and--and--" Connie started to get tears in her eyes. So much for no more sad friends, I guess.

"I don't want to lose you, okay?!" Oh, yeah. I guess I'm still kind of one of the only friends Connie has. Being this nervous is pretty justified. I should really introduce her to new people! Buuuut that's not important right now.

"Connie, trust me! The Gems know what they're doing. I'm not going anywhere." I give her my hand. "Well, not without a fight, anyway. I wouldn't be a good jam bud if I left you, right?' Connie stopped crying (yaaaaaaay!) and smiled back at me. "You're right. But still, we should probably prepare just in case."

I thought for a while. "Oh, I got an idea!" I cleared my throat for one of my favorite little guys (well, I guess he's not all that little) in the world.

"Lion!" I yelled out. No answer. "...Lion?" I asked again. No answer. I waited for a bit, and sighed. "Guess that's not gonna work." And just as I finished saying that, Lion ran through the front door. He...didn't seemed panicked or anything about the fight. He just kinda ran in. You can never tell with him.

But still...something didn't seem right.

"I'll be riiiight back!" I told Connie. "Lion, do the thing!"

And he did the thing! Lion let me go into the little pocket world he's got in his hair. As I stepped in, I held my breath (I should really tell him to get some oxygen in there), looked around, and picked up my mom's sword before I hopped back out.

"Here. You can totally use it better than I can." I tossed the sword over to Connie.

I drew my shield from out of my belly button and pointed to it.

"Eh? Ehhhh?" I said, smiling. Connie clutched the sword in her hands and looked super cool! "Well, if there's anyway I can prove I don't want to lose you, it's by helping get rid of her, right?"

I shrugged. "Well, we can't exactly just keep her around here...unless she decides to change her mind, I guess. Buuuut, that's probably not happening, huh?" (it didn't. you can't see it since i'm writing but i'm really sad about writing that. well, wait, i guess i just told you. oh, well, you know what i mean)

"Probably not. I like the gems and all, Steven, but they might end up needing our help...and...um..."

Connie and I went to the door. But Connie turned to me. "...this is a pretty dire situation. If anything happens...well..."

Connie moved in and kissed me on the cheek.

"There's something you can remember me by."

Here's my reaction basically word-for-word:

_**"FADOPGJAEOPTJEPATJEAPITJOPADFJKAFAL;SFJ;LJ:!!!!!"** _

\---------------------------

And then we ended up fighting. And obviously we're all okay! I...don't really wanna write since I thought about that again, though. It's making me feel all...weird-ish? Well, not weird, that's probably a bit too negative.

More like...a good type of strange? Cause it's great, but...uh...aw, man, I dunno!

Anyway, this is probably where I'm gonna end for now.

It was a really cool battle, but let's face it: all that matters is the star (which is me. because i have the star on my shirt! and people love me! connie especially i guess???????) Byyyyye, Journalllll!

_**Your Pal,** _

_**Steven** _

P.S: I probably shouldn't let Garnet now about the whole Connie thing. Although, she probably knows by now. I think that's why she's been in such a good mood recently! Nothing's gonna take her out of that!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After nine years in development, I hope it was worth the weight. (it probably wasn't, but that's why you need to get psyched for the final battle, which should be coming out at some point before--or on the first day of--the next StevenBomb)
> 
> Next time:
> 
> Yellow Diamond battles against all of the Crystal Gems...and Connie. 
> 
> Will she be defeated?! (probably, yeah.)
> 
> Will Amethyst keep doing cool stuff?! (I sure hope so!)
> 
> Will Steven and Connie make out?! (I...dunno. They'll probably do SOMETHING, though.)
> 
> Find out next time, on Diamond Ball Z!
> 
> Oh, and as a bit of a warning...let's just say Pearl's gem being healed might've seemed easy...but trust me...
> 
> ...you should be very, very, VERRRRRY worried for your favorite little thirsty bird. 
> 
> Yellow Diamond's treated the battle as a loss, and Steven seems happy, but who ever said that a happy ending doesn't have...erm, let's just say:
> 
> "consequences".
> 
> (ambiguous laughter)


	8. No Need To Look So Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE FINAL BATTLE. Blood, sweat, and tears will be shed.

I battled with the Amethyst for what felt like an eon. Traitor or not, she was a wonderful combatant. Unfortunately, I had wanted her to lead the path all traitors to Homeworld will, or eventually, do: _**death.**_

Long-sword in hand, I dodged like mad to avoid her lashes. "Don't you understand that you're in a fight you can't win? Or did the Earth's culture rot your mind that much?"

She said nothing in response, but the anger within her grew apparent, as her whippings got more and more intense. Swinging my sword at the storm of her attack only got my sword revoked from me.

"You forgot somethin'!" she said smugly, holding it above her head.

My feet moved before my mind; I needed that weapon back. I dashed and leaped high in the air, planning to assault her with an aeriel attack. Unfortunately, this only got me entangled, and slammed on sand rock without any mercy. Launching me around the place in a perfectly circular motion, she had leaped into the air.

"Get  _DUNKED ON!_ " she shouted, as the velocity of her swing gave her the perfect chance to launch me into the ground. I have no idea what this means, but alas, I don't really care to find out.

Any normal gem would've been defeated a while ago. As you know dear reader, I am no normal gem.

I stood up, cracking my knuckles. "May I have my weapon back, please?"

She couldn't believe her eyes. "S-seriously? That didn't do anything?"

I shook my head. "You can't keep doing this forever, Amethyst...well, perhaps you could, but wouldn't you rather just accept a loss before something horrible happens? This has to end _eventually,_ and if I may make a prediction, it's not in your favor."

Amethyst had shouted "NO!" after I asked the question, but I spoke right through her.

"I...I can't! We don't want you here, and we don't want to be  _anywhere_ with you! Can'tcha take a hint?!" She shook with fury, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sure in some other place, in some other reality, in some other timeline or SOMETHING, I got to grow up on Homeworld. But I don't care about it anymore! It's probably a wack planet with a bunch of wack rules and wack people like YOU!"

I could tell she was thinking of it, but, as any reader could tell, she's quite bullheaded. It almost made me sad; this poor thing has been brainwashed into thinking Homeworld's of terrible quality.  _ ~~(but you know it IS, you idiot)~~_

"Very well, then." I said. She'll just have to die like all the others.

Before I could retrieve my sword in that moment, a spear flew toward my head. Clutching it, I immediately tossed it towards its thrower. Unfortunately, it didn't impale her.

* * *

 

"Pearl?! You're alright!"

"Why are you fighting out here all by yourself?!"

"The alternative's letting her in the house, P."

As this bickering continued, only two thoughts ran through my mind; _"I need my weapon back."_  and _"How has she returned?"_

Regardless, I ran towards the Amethyst, and my body twirled at a perfect direction to kick her face, thus knocking her away to her friend and freeing my sword from its captivity.

Picking it up, I entered my stance once again.

 ** _"COME AT ME!"_** I shouted.

"Aw, great, she's got her sword back." Amethyst commented.

Expecting the Pearl to respond, she was surprised to find that she was already entering a one-on-one duel with me.

"I won't let you interfere with the goal Rose Quartz gave me!" she said. Her weapon clashed blow-for-blow with mine. No matter the angle I tried to swing at her, or what position I was in, she would immediately block it and strike my armor with perfect blows that, while doing nothing but knock me away from her, still showed the work of a master battle gem. The whipping continued from the Amethyst, and I found that this was troubling...

Looking at the sun, I could see that its fall was going to be approaching soon. My armor would fall if I didn't finish this fight.

"For a Pearl, you're quite good," I commented casually, smile on my face.

"For a GEM I'm quite good!" she responded. "My class has nothing to do with this fight!"

"If you say so." I swung my blade overhead, and her spear was immediately matching mine once again. 

"Rose only took pity on you and trained you to fight. And even then, you couldn't keep her attention; you lost a romance to a HUMAN, no less! Don't you see how pathetic you truly are?"

My taunts were empty to her, much like they were with Amethyst. A beautiful combination striking me on all sides, ending with her knocking me away once again with a kick, showed that desperate times called for desperate measures.

It was time to unleash the full power of my armor, and to call in for support.

Immediately going to my comms system, I whispered into the microphone. "Peridot! Peridot, come in!"

The response was swift. "Y-Yes, Miss Yellow Diamond?"

"I need you to provide me some combat support. Send my ship over to the location I'm currently at  _immediately!"_

"Oh, uhhh, okay! I-I'll be there!"

...to clarify, that was  _not_ the full power of my armor.

There was more.

I hadn't activated this earlier because I was assuming they were...weaker than expected. They were strong; perhaps even stronger than me, if I could be honest.

This is why I needed something special.

This is why I needed my armor to switch into _Mk. 2._

Mark 2 provides me with many advantages, including:

  * Remote control of my ship
  * The ability to move so quickly it appears as though time itself has been altered
  * Control over some natural elements



Of course, this power comes at a cost; the blows I take are going to be able to truly and genuinely phase me, and I can only use these new abilities for so long. It was a risky trade, but one that I thought would be wise and necessary.

I could sense the Gems approach me. Using my speed, I sprinted towards the door of their home.

To me, time had stopped. To them, time increased.

But there was one gem I hadn't accounted for:

_**THE FUSION.** _

* * *

 

As my foot had touched the first step of the door, I was met with a gauntlet entering my face and sending me back into the rocks I had just left from. As much as I had tried to hide my pain, it was apparent that that was the first attack that actually hurt me.

The Crystal Gems approached me, a menacing look of determination on their faces. 

I knew that this was the end.

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._ oh, right. I can't fool you into believe this is the end, can I? I wrote this AFTER my trip. Silly me!

My possible death was interrupted by a well-placed airstrike of smoke to hide me from my possible murderers.

My ship had arrived.

"I'm here, Yellow Diamond!" I heard through my comms system.

"Excellent work, Peridot."

I quickly ran away to the back of the house.

"My ship is quite different from most. How did you manage to determine that that was a smoke-launcher?"

I heard nervous laughter. "Well, I, err...sort of...guessed. But hey, i-it worked, right? Heheheh...you, err, aren't impressed, huh?"

Admittedly, the moment was less amazing. "Not at all! You saved me from a grim fate; you're a savior to Homeworld!"

"Oh--oh, wow, th-thank you so much!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her joy. "Now, do me a favor; keep using the ships tools to keep those Gems busy. I need to retrieve Steven Universe. If things get worse, I'll control the ship's weapons from my armor and all you'd need to do is avoid being hit. If it gets horrible...well, we equipped you with those limbs for a reason, right?"

I could tell Peridot feared the thought of having to go out on the field, but she carried on bravely. "Y-yes ma'am."

The conversation ending, I broke into the house of Steven Universe.

I moved towards the living room, only to find that he and his ally weren't there at all.

Confused, I look towards the outside. Garnet hadn't taken them...had she?

This was troubling.

I searched the house amidst the noise of lasers and rockets. They had simply left the building. I grew frustrated...but, perhaps this was the perfect chance to strike?

* * *

 I navigated myself towards the roof. They hadn't seen me yet. Preparing my sword, I looked at the first target that entered my sight;  _the Pearl._

Thinking that her death would turn the tide of battle, I struck from above, _my sword entering her head once again._

 _ **"NO!!"**_ she shouted right before retreating back into her gem.

"Pearl!" both of her teammates shouted.

Making the death happen quickly this time, I stomped hard on to the gem...but right before I could completely shatter it, I was pulled towards Amethyst yet again.

No matter; that's one gem down for now. How mad would she have to be to fight in her current state? She's even worse than before.

As the ship's fire interrupted any further assaults from Amethyst, releasing me from her grasp, my attention turned towards Ruby and Sapphire (still in their fused state).

My sword clashing with her fists, I asked: "Where is Steven?"

"He's safe!" she responded, as I ducked underneath her fists.

"Don't play coy with me; where is his location?!" My patience began to falter.

"Away from here!" 

Making an infuriated noise that couldn't be described for text, I shouted "JUST LET THIS END! LET ME TAKE HIM, YOU DISGUSTING WEAPON!"

The only words I ever regretted in this battle. My entire body was covered head-to-toe in punch after punch after punch after punch.

"You're hurting fusions on Homeworld."

A blow struck me.

"You're hurting so many planets."

Another.

"You're hurting my team."

Another.

"And you're hurting me, Ruby, _and_ Sapphire."

Another.

"But you will _never!_ "

More.

**_"EVER!"_ **

More.

**_"HURT!"_ **

More.

**_"HIM!!"_ **

The blow knocked me so high I crashed into my own ship. The look of fear and despair on Peridot's face met my vision, as I fell back onto solid ground.

My form ached with pain.

"I was going to let you go...let you turn back from this planet and never come back."

She removed her glasses, and threw them into the distance.

"Your sins are too great for that now. I need to bubble you and keep you from hurting anyone else, even if Homeworld might suffer."

~~_...she's absolutely right. I'm such a burden. I hurt my own people, and I hurt everything around me. I'm but a cancer upon all of existence. Why did it have to be like this? Why can't Blue and White return? Why must they stay dead? I truly deserve this fate. She should've let me die right then and there. It was my time. I needed death. I deserved it.  IT WAS MY TIME. Someone anyone please free me from life I c a n 't ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ᶦᵗ_ ~~

~~~~"This is the end, Yellow Diamond. This is--"

A blast struck Garnet. Smoke rose into the air.

* * *

 

"A-are you alright, miss?!"

Peridot had saved me.

"Peridot?" I would never expect to be rescued by her in my whole existence. "Wh-where's my ship?"

"When you were launched into it, it took too much damage to continue firing. I had to land and cloak it so that we could still have a safe escape. I-I can't promise much when it comes to fighting, but I have to make sure you make it out of here safe."

I smiled at her. 

My moment of appreciation didn't last long. "Peridot, behind you!" I shouted.

"Wha--"

Amethyst's whip wrapped around her. Clutching it, she sent a shock releasing her. She took fire at a Garnet who was attempting to return to the fight, but another unexpected combatant returned. Pearl, despite being heavily damage, assaulted her and kept her pinned to the ground, spear covering her neck.

"Pearl? What're you doing?!"

"You can't be here, Pearl! If you get damaged anymore, your gem will shatter!"

"N-no...I can still fight...even if I have to die...I-I can't let you all continue on without me..."

Peridot attempted to finish her off, but Garnet quickly reappeared and blocked the blast with her fist, smacking Peridot away.

As they attempted to convince Pearl to flee the battle, I crawled towards Peridot.

"This is our chance, Peridot."

Peridot observed the scene. "Ah! Uh, okay--"

She began charging her weapon. "Stop!"

"Huh?"

"You'll be able to do that in just a moment. For now..."

I moved my hand towards the ground. 

Here's a scientific lesson:

When sand that has had the battle of a lifetime becomes doused with water, and entrapped with various Earth elements, it forms something nigh inescapable.

And that is  _quicksand_.

It entrapped the feat of the gems, and since I can control it, I've made the force of it so strong that it's nigh unescapable, even for a gem as strong as them.

Their bodies sunk, but, knowing better to not fight it in case their gem is trapped beneath the sand, they simply stared in horror.

"How...how is this happening?!" Pearl shouted, eyes going wide, hands clutching her head. Her form began to vibrate and slightly change, before warping back into her original form. "Th-this is some sort of-sort of-s-s-s-some sort of nightmare!" 

"No." I responded. "This is the strength of Homeworld technology."

Peridot kept a solid eye on Amethyst, watching out for her whip.

"Now, if you're all as wise as you'd like to think you are, I think you'll be telling me where Steven is."

Amethyst sighed. "Welp. Jig's up, guys. Garnet, where's Steven?"

She looked at the ground, and confidently up at me, eyes furrowed.

"I don't know."

Everyone stared at her blankly.

"What."

"I genuinely have no idea where they went! I told them to stay inside the house...you didn't see them?" she asked me.

"Wha--no!" I shouted, offended she'd even ask me. "Don't play games with me!"

"All that matters is that they're away from YOU, ya big weirdo!" Amethyst shouted.

My eye began to twitch. 

"...alright then. Peridot, I need you to go retrieve that child. I'll hold them here all day if I have to.

As Peridot walked forward, she stopped in her tracks.

"Erm, Yellow Diamond?"

"...yes, Peridot?"

"...I found a human with a sword. And for some reason, I don't think this is going to end well for m--"

A noise of pain erupted and Peridot was flung forward in front of me.

I turned around, and saw the greatest enemy I ever met.

* * *

"Who...are you?" I asked quizzically. 

She smiled at me, pointing Rose Quartz's blade at me.

"I'm a fusion of Steven Universe and Connie Maheswaran. One-and-a-half human, and one-part gem, combined into one body, made out of one pure relationship. I'm the person who's going to send you back from where you came!"

She shoved her sword into the ground, her hands resting on it.

"But you can just call me... _'Stevonnie'_." She winked at me.

My existence was filled with rage.

An inhumane tool, created out of a human and a halfling challenged me. I snapped. I simply couldn't take any more.

_**"I'LL KILL YOUUUUUU!!"** _

I had about five minutes, judging by the approaching darkness, but five minute was enough to slaughter this fusion once and for all (I hadn't considered the fact that I would've surely died had I won my fight out of wrath; we were heavily outnumbered and weakened). My Mk. 1armor began to form to avoid gem retreat in my injured state. The Gems were released from their sandtrap.

Peridot immediately lept into action, providing cover fire as my sword duel with Stevonnie began.

We matched blow for blow, but she avoided my blows with pure acrobatics, and struck at my armor.

_**"STOP FIGHTING, ROSE QUARTZ! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!"** _

She parried my strikes. The grip on my sword was slipping.

"I literally  _just_ went through this! I am  _not_ Rose Quartz!" 

My sword was knocked into the air, forcing me to revert to hand-to-hand combat.

Attempting to remove the sword from the hands of this creature, my hands clutched violently on the blade. I squeezed on it, staring into the eyes of Stevonnie with a menacing grin.

"What?! How the--"

I yanked the blade from their hands, wielding it in my own. I felt Rose Quartz's soul within the blade...and it resonated negatively within me. I felt my ~~sins~~  actions crawl down my back.

As I thrusted and swiped the blade at the fusion, it once again moved too swiftly for me to strike. Even with Peridot being able to shoot at it (despite being pummeled for the last few minutes), she couldn't land a single hit on the cretin.

Speaking of the last few minutes, I began to realize... _the sun was setting._

"Now's our chance, guys!" shouted the fusion.

"Alright, move in!" Garnet commanded.

Peridot had vanished from the scene, presumably to get my ship (she did),

In my fury, Rose's sword launched towards Garnet; I thought I had landed a few blows, but it was in vain, for my power was failing. She struck me with both gauntlets right in my mid-section. My armor began to crack.

As I reeled back, Pearl shoved her spear through the cracks, causing it to fall apart more. Amethyst's whips lashed and lashed and lashed harder than ever before, making my armor vulnerable to one final blow.

It... _Stevonnie_ swept me off the ground with her legs, catching Rose Quartz's blade.

And with one final strike, my armor--and my energy--fell apart.

With blurred vision, I stared at the quartet. 

"So...you've beaten me. Now what?"

Stevonnie thought for a minute.

"Stevonnie! You need to make her retreat into her gem!"

She turned. "B-but...that just seems really cruel."

She began talking with herself. "Steven, this person hurt us and almost killed your friends-slash-parental figures!" "I-I know, but...I don't feel comfortable with this. This isn't right. Something's telling me to let her go."

"B-but Steven!" 

Garnet glared at Pearl.

"St-Stevonnie...we can't let her go. Don't you understand?"

"I know, I know, but...mom..."

"Trust me, Steve...onnie! Rose wouldn't let her go! She was kind, but she was wise when it came to things like this! She's-she's not telling you what I think she's telling you, right?"

Amethyst looked at Pearl. "I'unno...could she be?"

The Crystal Gems stared at each other with solemn looks and grave silence.

Garnet was the first to break it. "We have no right to decide, Stevonnie. The choice is up to you."

Stevonnie clutched the blade, shaking. "I...I'm going to let you leave."

I stared incredulously. "Are...are you two sure?"

Stevonnie thought about it. "...yeah. Yeah, I am."

I couldn't help but be somewhat moved. I slowly rose.

"I have to admit...you're quite kind."

I had the perfect chance to take Steven.

I could have.

I could have.

_**I COULD HAVE.** _

...but I didn't.

I simply stared at Stevonnie.

I hated to do this, but...it was only right.

From within my gem, I pulled out the remains of Lapis Lazuli and Jasper.

"Here."

Stevonnie's eyes grew wide with fear.

"...what?!"

The fusion fell apart.

From within, two children fell on the ground.

Steven crawled towards the shattered pieces of gem, tears streaming down his face.

"N-no...why...why would you do this...how could you?!"

Connie put her hand on Steven's shoulder. 

The Gems stared at me. I could tell that both had caused them much trouble, but making Steven cry was a crime that only monsters like I would make happen.

"I'm...I'm sorry." My voice was shaky.

My ship flew overhead. Peridot activated the beam to warp onto the ship. 

My back faced towards all of them.

It was finally over.

* * *

 

I sat at the controls of my ship, visibly solemn.

"Are...are you okay, miss?" asked Peridot, puzzled. 

"No, Peridot." I sighed. "No, I'm not."

As I proceeded to send us both back to Homeworld, she sat next to me nervously. I said nothing.

"So...what's your plan going forward?" she asked.

I thought for a moment.

"Peridot, do you think what I did was wrong?"

Peridot smiled. "Oh, please. Absolutely no--"

I turned to face her, grabbing her with both hands. **_"Be honest."_**

Her eyes darted all over the room. "Well...you did what was right for Homeworld. But...perhaps we could leave Earth alone?"

I nodded.

A silence came over us.

"I'm going to make this _right._ " I said, slamming my hands on a non-button filled part of my control panel. 

"How do you mean...?" 

"I will find a way to return that Lapis and that Jasper back to normal. I will find a way to apologize to Rose Quar--Steven."

"But, there's no possible way for shattered gems to come back to life, is there?" Peridot contemplated.

I smiled at her. "Homeworld technology develops more and more every day. You should know that."

She looks at her hands and legs. "W-well, I guess, yeah..."

I will still rule over Homeworld. But from this day onward, I've made my pledge.

I _will_ redeem myself.

I _will_ right the wrongs I've done to Homeworld.

I _will_ right the wrongs I've done to Steven Unierse.

I _will_ right the wrongs I've done to the Crystal Gems.

I _will_ right the wrongs I've done to Rose Quartz.

Even if it kills me.

But if it does, it will be a death I deserve.

* * *

I've had some time to think as I wrote this.

I'm...I'm no hero to Homeworld.

I'm just as terrible as I once thought Rose Quartz was.

No one is allowed to find this journal.

No living being should be allowed to see this.

I've had so much time to think.

If you're still reading this, reader, I'm sorry you had to read through my sins. This was all my fault.

I started this as a triumphant war story, but now I realize that this is a story about a path to something else.

My death? My reformation? A better Homeworld? A  _worse_ Homeworld?

I don't know.

Blue and White, give me guidance. 

And  ~~Pink~~  Rose Quartz, give me love and kindness.

Perhaps my salvation will come some other time.

But for now, dear reader, this is goodbye.

 **_\--_ ** _From the Misguided and Desperate Fool In Charge of Homeworld,_

_Yellow Diamond_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And THAT. Is how you finish a story.
> 
> I apologize if Yellow Diamond's regret and remorse seems sudden. I was trying to hint at it throughout the story, but this is kind of the chapter where it all comes crashing down.
> 
> Will my future stories be a lot less serious? Maybe.
> 
> Will you see this Yellow Diamond in the future? Probably.
> 
> Will I be writing some more? Definitely.
> 
> Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride, folks!


End file.
